Possible Early '86 LPE? Need Advice Please!!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,093
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From: Spring City Tn
Possible Early '86 LPE? Need Advice Please!!
Hey Guys, I have a chance to buy a nice 1986 4+3 Z51 coupe. It has an LPE emblem on the dash and on the valve covers. There is NO paperwork with this car to authenticate when or if the work was done by John Lingenfelter. The emblem on the dash looks legit and reads LPE 355 430 BHP/480 LBS TQ. Then it has a sequence # of V0816ZZZ.
I called LPE today and talked to Ryan(he sounded like a young guy born after this car was) and he had no clue of the #s and said their records only went back to '93.
Here is the interesting thing about the car. The build date is 08/85 so the car came with cast iron heads from the factory. But the engine has aluminum heads now but instead of the big super ram plenum that I have seen on a couple of late '86 LPE 355 ci cars, it still has the factory appearing tuned port runners. It also has early looking LPE valve covers and they have Lingenfelter in the center.
Could this be a very early/one of the 1st 355 CI packages that John built before he started using the super ram? Could he of ported the plenum? Does the sequence of #s mean anything to anyone that knows about John's early L98 work?
Are there other ways I can verify that this is a true early LPE car? The car shows 79k miles and the owner says is feels like alot more HP than the 430, but I assured him that those were very strong #s for a naturally aspirrated L98 in '86.
I will try and post a picture of the engine and decal later tonight. Any help would greatly be appreciated.......................thanks
I called LPE today and talked to Ryan(he sounded like a young guy born after this car was) and he had no clue of the #s and said their records only went back to '93.
Here is the interesting thing about the car. The build date is 08/85 so the car came with cast iron heads from the factory. But the engine has aluminum heads now but instead of the big super ram plenum that I have seen on a couple of late '86 LPE 355 ci cars, it still has the factory appearing tuned port runners. It also has early looking LPE valve covers and they have Lingenfelter in the center.
Could this be a very early/one of the 1st 355 CI packages that John built before he started using the super ram? Could he of ported the plenum? Does the sequence of #s mean anything to anyone that knows about John's early L98 work?
Are there other ways I can verify that this is a true early LPE car? The car shows 79k miles and the owner says is feels like alot more HP than the 430, but I assured him that those were very strong #s for a naturally aspirrated L98 in '86.
I will try and post a picture of the engine and decal later tonight. Any help would greatly be appreciated.......................thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,079
Likes: 1
From: Niagara Falls ON
It is my understanding that a true Lingenfelter Corvette wouldn't have the factory TPI system in place. All of the images that I have seen show a completely different system on top of the engine.
Sounds like someone is trying to pass the car off as an LPE when it probably isnt'.
Sounds like someone is trying to pass the car off as an LPE when it probably isnt'.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: WA
I replied in your other thread but will repeat here in case you didn't see it.
It's likely a fake emblem. Long tube runners are the correct configuration for LPE packages up until around 1991 or so when the superam came out. The 430 BHP number is way off for a 355 cu.in. long tube runner LPE package. Even the 383 long tube runner LPE engine was only rated 380 HP.
I bought my 86 in spring of 90 and installed the LPE stage III kit that summer. The superam wasn’t available then but was available no later than 1992 when I upgraded to it. I still have my 86, all the old receipts, catalogs, price lists and several magazine articles from that time period covering LPE, Doug Rippie, TPIS and a few others.
It's likely a fake emblem. Long tube runners are the correct configuration for LPE packages up until around 1991 or so when the superam came out. The 430 BHP number is way off for a 355 cu.in. long tube runner LPE package. Even the 383 long tube runner LPE engine was only rated 380 HP.
I bought my 86 in spring of 90 and installed the LPE stage III kit that summer. The superam wasn’t available then but was available no later than 1992 when I upgraded to it. I still have my 86, all the old receipts, catalogs, price lists and several magazine articles from that time period covering LPE, Doug Rippie, TPIS and a few others.
